City's law on Confederate street names questioned

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Steeped in Civil War history, the northern Virginia city of Alexandria is considering repeal of an old law requiring certain new streets to be named for Confederate generals.

City Councilman Justin Wilson is introducing legislation at Tuesday's council meeting to do away with a 1963 law requiring, whenever possible, that any new North-South streets built in city limits be named after Confederate military leaders.

Wilson's bill also would eliminate a requirement that new east-west streets be named for persons or places prominent in American history.

Wilson said he has not yet heard of any opposition to his bill.

Alexandria is across the Potomac River from the nation's capital.

Wilson said he is trying to overhaul a series of anachronistic laws, and that the other provisions are unrelated to Confederate history.